The End Is Near merges their passion for horror and hardcore with "Grindhouse," an intense, cinematic track inspired by House of 1000 Corpses. Discover their creative process and relentless energy.
1. Your
single "Grindhouse" draws heavily from horror films, especially Rob
Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses. What inspired you to combine your passion for
music with horror themes?
The inspiration started with a conversation between Chris and I (Tim Baker). We were catching up and talking about movies we loved and House of 1000 Corpses came up. Not long after that conversation I wrote the instrumental and sent It over to Chris to start writing. Once he sent me the first draft of Grindhouse lyrics, I knew we had something special.
2. You’ve all been part of the Orange County hardcore scene for over two
decades. How has that experience shaped the sound and energy of The End Is
Near?
We've seen a lot of bands come and go in our 20 years in the scene. Sounds evolve and things change constantly, but I'd like to think we've been paying attention to everything long enough that we've absorbed lots of different influences and styles to bring to this project. It's probably also made us jaded a little bit I would imagine, so our quality control is a little bit higher than other new projects out there.
3. "Grindhouse" marks a turning point in your writing process.
What changed during the creation of this track compared to your earlier
material?
Grindhouse is the first song recorded with our drummer Nick. Our other singles we released were programmed and didn't quite have the feel or energy we would have liked. Having Nick all on recordings from here on out will continue to give us the feel we were hoping for from the beginning.
4. The energy and aggression in "Grindhouse" are palpable. How do
you channel such raw emotion into your music, and what message are you hoping
to deliver to your listeners?
I feel like energy and aggression are two areas that we will be able to consistently deliver. Our music has always been our outlet and our release, and we've all been through enough in our time on this rock to have a lot to get off our chest. Chris and Tim have an exentive history in writing aggressive and raw songs together, so it will be a throughline on a lot of songs we release.
5. The production of "Grindhouse" is praised for its edge and
intensity. Can you share details about the creative and technical process
behind recording this single?
I am super proud of the production on Grindhouse. I produced and engineered the song myself. The instrumental came out In a day. It was one of those songs that flowed out effortlessly. The song is in Drop G tuning, and I feel like we were able to accomplish a tight Mix in this low register. Once I had the mix dialed in, I sent It off to our trusted Engineer to put the final touches on the mix and master. When we got the Master back, we were so happy with the overall production and were so excited to start sharing it out.
6. Nick Rickenbach’s drums were recorded remotely while the rest was done in
Tim Baker’s home studio. How did this remote workflow affect the dynamics and
collaboration within the band?
Nick and I actually had a conversation about this workflow recently. It definitely has its drawbacks. We are all so used to writing together in the same room from previous projects, it requires a little bit more imdependence to worj this way, but we all trust each others sensabilities enough, that it's been working out great. It also provides an opportunity for Nick to write and refine at his own pace, which I think overall enhanced the taked and gave exactly what we were hoping for out of the drum tracks.
7. Your music seems to bridge the gap between past and present
hardcore/metalcore sounds. How do you balance paying homage to your roots while
keeping the music fresh and relevant?
That is huge compliment, and I appreciate that question greatly. I think the honest answer to that is that we are trying to write music that we would want to listen to. Paying homage to our roots will always be there because a lot of that music is seared into our brains. We are just huge fans of Metal and Hardcore genres and I'd like to think that we have a unique sensibility to our stylistic choices.
8. What do you feel sets "Grindhouse" apart from other tracks in
the genre? How does it reflect your growth as a band?
I like Grindhouse for the reason that I think blends some solid Deathcore with more traditional Hardcore influence. The 2nd verse and all the overdubbed vocals are very hardcore adjacent. I laugh at the cheesiness, but I like quote "More Core In My Deathcore".
9. Chris Hagen’s lyrics are integral to the thematic depth of
"Grindhouse." How does the writing process work between the band
members, especially when tackling such vivid and cinematic themes?
Cinematic themes will be ever present in all of our music. I feel like some of the ideas we have are grandeos enough to be cinematic innately. However, Chris has always written lyrics that I absolutely love and relate to. Grindhouse is definitely angry and homicidal, but in a way that stays true to it's Inspiration.
10. You’ve described "Grindhouse" as a "love letter" to
the genres that defined you. What bands or artists have been your biggest
inspirations throughout your careers?
Too many to name them at all, but here are some bands that we love: 100 Demons, Despised Icon, Bury Your Dead, The Acacia Strain, Bodysnatecher FL, At The Gates, Varials PA, A Life Once Lost, and TONS MORE. Hahaha
11. The quote, "YOU WILL NOT MAKE IT OUT ALIVE," perfectly
encapsulates the intensity of "Grindhouse." How do you want fans to
feel when they listen to this track?
I mean, I
feel like it should definitely invoke a bit of Fear and adrenaline. It's got
intimidating tones, and It's coming from the first person view of a Psycho
Killer. Or maybe you personally relate to some of these sentiments HAHAHA. Either
way, It's not for the feint of heart.
12. What’s next for The End Is Near? Should fans expect more horror-themed
tracks, or are you planning to explore different directions in your future
releases?
100%. We
will always have Horror Themes entagled throughout this project. Our name alone
gives us so many different ways to use the themes in Horror to our advantage. The
End Is Near. DUN DUN DUN
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